


Call it Magic When I'm With You

by Ms_Understood94



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Annabeth is a Ravenclaw because of course, F/M, Hogwarts, Just Percabeth at Hogwarts, Not a Crossover, One Shot, Percy is a hopelessly in love dork, Pining, Slow Build, Unrequited Love, kind of, more like a lot of little one shots mashed together, percabeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-13 23:06:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11195358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_Understood94/pseuds/Ms_Understood94
Summary: “Hey Perce,” he began slowly, “how’s your embarrassingly huge crush on that Ravenclaw girl going? What was her name again?”“Annabeth,” Percy mumbled, already beet red.“Oh right, Annabeth. Like the one who’s walking this way right now?”Percy spun around at inhuman speeds, jaw dropping open and eyes widening. Annabeth walked, no, strutted through the courtyard. Her hair was perfectly curly, Ravenclaw cloak, adorned with a new prefect badge, whipping behind her, calculating grey eyes focused straight ahead.A strange noise escaped Percy’s lips, which caused Piper and Jason to burst into peals of laughter. Annabeth walked right past, without so much as a glance in their direction.Percy turned back to his friends and ran his hand through his hair - somehow even more red in the face than before.“You are such a dork,” Piper comforted him with a pat on the back , “a hopelessly in love dork.”----------------------------------Hogwarts AU !!Also the scene above was low-key inspired by a fan-art I saw ages ago. It's what prompted me to write the whole thing, so if anyone knows who the artist is, let me know and I'll throw in a credit here!





	Call it Magic When I'm With You

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an AU I dreamed about and told myself I was going to write a quick one shot the next day. It turned into a month long 10,000 word project ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Anyways, this is just an AU not a crossover- none of the main characters from HP are in the story, but some professors are. Hope you like it, I had a lot of fun writing it!
> 
> Obviously, I don't own either Percy Jackson or Harry Potter

Percy first saw Annabeth as she was called up to the sorting hat. Immediately, he was fascinated by the blond curls that cascaded down her back and her sharp calculating eyes that furrowed in worry as the hat was placed on her head.

It had barely touched her scalp when it shouted forth, “RAVENCLAW.”

All hopes that had built up within Percy of being sorted into the same house as her were dashed away immediately. Percy was smart enough to get by, but didn’t have the levels of intelligence associated with the Ravenclaw house.

Shortly after, he was sorted into Hufflepuff. He and his mom had done a lot of reading about Hogwarts after he got his letter (his father was the magical one and he was never really in the picture). After reading the descriptions of the houses, Sally had ruffled his hair and told him he would make the perfect Hufflepuff student.

Still, as he nervously shuffled to his table with all eyes in the room on him, his stomach was twisting, worrying that he wouldn't fit in.

Those nerves melted away as his table stood and cheered loudly as he approached. A guy who looked maybe only a year older than him wearing a Rasta cap gave him a high five and pointed to the empty seat next to him.

Percy felt right at home.

Only a few students later and Hufflepuff received their next student- Piper McLean. She bounded over to their table and plopped down next to Percy, flashing him a toothy grin as he did so. He knew right away they were going to be great friends.

After the sorting was complete, Percy felt his eyes wander to the Ravenclaw table  For the briefest of moments, his eyes met with a startling pair of grey eyes. Percy could hardly believe how fascinating he suddenly found the color.

* * *

Annabeth first met Percy when he fell asleep in Professor Binn’s class during second year. He had scrambled in late and then proceeded to slowly drift off throughout the lecture.

She would be the first to admit that History of Magic was far from interesting, but as someone who valued learning as much as she did, she found it preposterous that anyone would sleep through any class.

Professor dismissed the class, but Percy was still soundly asleep on his desk. And drooling at that.

Percy woke up to gray eyes, surrounded by princess curls. Annabeth was gently nudging his shoulder and he was certain he must still be dreaming.

He clearly rubbed his eyes, finally realizing that he had fallen asleep in class. _While sitting next to Annabeth Chase._

She stared down at him, nose scrunched up before simply saying “you drool in your sleep” and striding out of the classroom.

Percy was left gaping like an idiot and hastily wiping his mouth. Talk about a first impression….

* * *

Third year brought the prospect of Quidditch tryouts. Though Percy hadn't heard of the sport until 2 years ago, he was trying out at Piper’s insistence.

He had a feeling it had something to do with the fact that she was crushing hardcore on the Gryffindor Chaser, Jason Grace. But you didn't hear that from him.

Despite having little experience on a broom, Percy was a natural at flying and easily secured a spot on the team as seeker. Certain that his ADHD would prevent him from searching for the snitch, he told his captain, a burly 6th year nicknamed Beckendorf, this.

Beck barked out a laugh and clapped him on the back, assuring him that that's why he was put there. Percy shrugged, wondering if the other seekers had ADHD too.

* * *

 It turns out that the Ravenclaw Quidditch team practices right before Hufflepuff. And it turns out that Annabeth Chase is on the team.

Percy nearly choked on his spit when he saw Annabeth striding off the field in striking blue robes.

If Percy showed up early to practice from there on out, no one had to know that it wasn't because he was a timely person.

* * *

The first match of the season was Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw. Percy told his teammates he was going to scope out the competition. In reality, he and Piper had made a pact to go and wallow over their crushes with one another.

Luckily, they had recently made friends with a feisty redhead named Rachel from Gryffindor that was willing to lend them clothes so they wouldn't seem _totally_ out of place

“You two look dashing,” Rachel joked when they sat down.

“It feels _wrong_ ” piper and Percy complained in unison.

Later in the game, Percy whined to Piper “How is she so good at everything she does?”Ugh this isn't even fair”

Annabeth was not only on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, she was their bloody seeker. And frankly, she was the best seeker Percy had ever seen.

Her curls flowed behind her as she cut through the air with a grace and elegance that 3rd years shouldn't have been able to develop.

She had caught the snitch early on, defeating Gryffindor 180-20

Hufflepuff played Ravenclaw in just a few weeks. All Percy could think about is how he was going to be able to ignore calculating gray eyes, and search for the snitch.

* * *

 “So, do you have a lot of experience flying? You seem like a natural,” Percy internally groaned as the words slipped out of his mouth.

He was floating high above the game, searching for the snitch, and just so happened to have drifted over to where Annabeth was perched on her broom.

She spared a quick glare at him, with a raised eyebrow before responding, “shouldn’t you be looking for something, Jackson?”

“Wait, you know my name?”

Again. The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Even though she wasn’t looking at him, Percy could sense that she had just rolled her eyes.

“Of course I know your name, it’s pretty rare to have a 3rd year seeker. Let alone two.”

Just as Percy opened his mouth, Malcolm Chase, Annabeth’s brother who was also a beater on Ravenclaw’s team, sped by and shouted “Oi! Jackson, stop distracting our seeker."

It was never his intent to be a distraction to Annabeth, this just happened to be the only moment in his life where he actually felt brave enough to talk to her.

He was on the verge of shouting back a snappy retort with a gold shimmer caught his eye. As casually as he could, he bid adieu to Annabeth.

“Well it’s been a pleasure chatting, Miss Chase. I must be on my way. Have a splendid day.”

Not waiting for a response, he flew away casually, gradually gaining speed. Annabeth cursed behind him when she realized he had spotted the snitch.

Though she was a good flyer, she couldn’t catch him in time. The snitch was gleaming in his hand, reflecting beautifully in his green eyes as he smirked at her.   

* * *

 “Good game, good game, good game,” Percy muttered as he shook hands with the Ravenclaws. When Annabeth’s hand touched his own, Percy felt a spark of electricity shoot through him. Annabeth’s face remained as passive and regal as ever.

After the handshakes were complete, Percy began meandering over to the Ravenclaw side again, despite the inquisitive looks from his teammates.

He was determined to assure Annabeth that he hadn't been trying to distract her. To his luck, he spotted the Ravenclaw seeker storming his direction.

To his misfortune, she strode right past him and out of the stadium without so much as a word or a glance in his direction.

She didn’t speak to him for the rest of the year.

* * *

Fourth year brought an exciting and rare event to the Hogwarts campus- the Tri-Wizard tournament. Though Percy pretended to be sad in front of his friends that he was too young to enter, there was no way in _hell_ he’d participate, even if he were old enough.  

As exciting as this was, it also meant that the Quidditch house cup was cancelled for the year- a fact which devastated Percy (And all of the Quidditch players) tremendously.

Rumor was, they'd be closing the Quidditch pitch in just a few weeks to prep it for various events. There were no official team practices, but most everyone was there, trying to squeeze in some flying to make up for their lack of access the rest of the year.

Annabeth was, of course, frequently present and Percy noticed how much she had matured over the summer. No, not like _That,_ jeez. I mean sure, she’d always been cute, but she was starting to be seriously beautiful.

Her face had become more defined, her hair had grown longer and now reached her mid-back when it was down.

He stared at her a lot during those sessions. One day, she caught him looking. Percy’s heart pounded, but he managed to flash her a grin and a wave. To his surprise, she gave a small smile back.

Maybe all hope was not lost.

* * *

 Percy was bent over his parchment, writing an essay in the common room when he felt hands on his back shaking him.

“Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?” Piper practically shouted in his ear.

“Chicken butt?” he muttered sarcastically.

Piper either didn't hear him or didn't care, as she twirled around before sinking into one of the armchairs near him.

“Jason freaking Grace just asked me to the Yule Ball!”

Percy twisted around in his seat, “No fucking way! Wait, how did this happen? Have you guys been talking?”

Piper grinned, “ I know, I can't believe it. And I've only talked to him in passing, but he told me when he asked that he’s been wanting to get to know me!”

She squealed, but then her smile melted into more of a mischievous smirk.

“You know, Perce, you don't have a date yet. And I talked with Annabeth today and _she_ doesn't have a date yet…”

“You're implying that I should ask the most intimidating and smart girl in our year to the Yule ball, despite the fact that she's spoken a total of 20 words to me in my life?” Percy snorted at how ridiculous it sounded.

Piper just shrugged, “Yeah, why not?”

Percy shook his head, but involuntarily, his mind was already brainstorming clever ways to ask Annabeth to the ball.

* * *

After an epic pep talk from Piper and Jason, Percy was ready to do the unthinkable.

He had written _Yule ball_ in black marker on a old snitch he had, and was going to toss it to her as he walked by. Piper squealed when he told her his idea.

He saw Annabeth at the other side of the courtyard, thankfully standing by herself. Strolling over to her, Percy realized he could barely breathe because he was so nervous.

When he was about halfway across the courtyard, Luke Castellan, the tri-wizard champion from Durmstrang approached Annabeth. Percy’s feet kept moving forward of his own accord, And that's when he heard the tail end of Luke’s speech.

“....go to the Yule Ball with me?”

“I’d love to,” Annabeth replied, beaming.

And with that, Percy felt his heart shatter.

* * *

A few Veela-esque girls from Beauxbatons made propositions to Percy about going to the ball together, but he politely declined. The other guys seemed to be loving their ‘charms,’ but it just made Percy uncomfortable.

He had opted to take Rachel, his friend from Gryffindor, instead. Waiting near the great hall, Percy was having a great time people watching.

Piper came down with Jason, both looking dashing and right at home in each other's arms. Grover was blushing as he walked by with his long-time crush Juniper. Percy winked at him, which only caused him to blush harder.

When he turned back to the staircase, his heart stopped.

Standing at top of the steps was Annabeth Chase in all of her glory. Her dress just so happened to be Percy’s favorite shade of blue, and it cascaded around her regally. Her curls, normally frizzy and untamed (and perfect, in Percy’s mind,) had been smoothed out. Half were pulled into a twist on the back of her head, while the other half framed the right side of her face.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” a voice piped up beside him.

He jumped, having not realized anyone approached him.Glancing to his right, he saw Rachel in striking green dress, which contrasted wonderfully against her hair.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “I, uh, don’t know what you’re talking about. You look wonderful, though!”

Rachel rolled her eyes and dragged him into the ballroom.

* * *

Percy was having a blast, but the same could not be said about Annabeth. For 45 minutes, she had sat at a deserted table. No one had asked her to dance, or even sat down with her.

Where was Luke, you might ask? Well, about 10 minutes after the champions first dance, he deserted her and has been sniggering in a corner with his Durmstrang buddies all night. Annabeth quickly realized that he had only asked her to come to prove he could- and it _hurt_.

Boys had never really shown much interest in Annabeth. Her mother insisted that this was because she was so intelligent that boys were intimidated by her.  For once, she thought she had met someone who was mature enough to take a legitimate interest in her.

It’s not like she really cared all that much though (or at least she tried to tell herself that). There was enough to focus on with school, especially with the OWLs coming up next year. She was so lost in her thoughts that she nearly jumped out of her seat when a hand appeared near her face.

Looking up, she was met with Percy Jackson bowing in front of her.

“I _seek_ your company for this dance,” he said, with a shit-eating grin.  

Annabeth groaned at the pun, but accepted his hand nonetheless, fighting back a small smile of her own.

* * *

On the first day of 5th year, Percy was in the courtyard, listening to Jason gush over his newly acquired prefect badge, while Piper looked on lovingly. They had started dating shortly after the Yule ball, and Percy had become pretty close with Jason over the last few months.

Jason stopped mid-sentence as an evil smirk took over his face as he looked at something behind Percy.

“Hey Perce,” he began slowly, “how’s your embarrassingly huge crush on that Ravenclaw girl going? What was her name again?”

“Annabeth,” Percy mumbled, already beet red.

“Oh right, Annabeth. Like the one who’s walking this way right now?”

Percy spun around at inhuman speeds, jaw dropping open and eyes widening. Annabeth walked, no, strutted through the courtyard. Her hair was perfectly curly, Ravenclaw cloak, adorned with a new prefect badge, whipping behind her, calculating grey eyes focused straight ahead.

A strange noise escaped Percy’s lips, which caused Piper and Jason to burst into peals of laughter. Annabeth walked right past, without so much as a glance in their direction.

Percy turned back to his friends and ran his hand through his hair - somehow even more red in the face than before.

“You are such a dork,” Piper comforted him with a pat on the back , “a hopelessly in love dork.”

* * *

With the fact that Jason and Annabeth were both prefects, they got to know each other pretty well. And with that, Annabeth and Piper practically became best friends overnight. And with that, Percy was asking Piper incessantly about how Annabeth was doing.

He was on his way to the owlery now, thinking of the last update Piper gave him about how hard Annabeth was studying. Just as he rounded the final corner, someone else came around it, and they lightly collided.

On reflex, Percy’s arms reached out to steady the other person, which is when he noticed the golden curls under his fingertips.

“Oh hey, Percy!” Annabeth exclaimed, “I almost didn't recognize you, you grew a lot over the summer!”

The raven-haired boy had to remind himself how to breathe.

“Yeah,” Percy said while scratching the back of his neck, “growth spurts and whatnot. Did you just send a letter?”

He knew it was a terribly stupid question, but sue him- he didn't want the conversation to end yet.

Annabeth looked to the ground, almost seeming ashamed, before responding, “Yeah, just returning a letter from Luke.”

The worst part was she didn't even _want_ to talk to Luke ever again, but he had sent a letter that she felt obliged to reply to. In her heart, she swore it would be her last correspondence with that blonde haired jerk.

Percy’s smile faltered for just a moment before returning, though not quite as full as before.

“That's Cool. I'm just sending my, uh, weekly letter to my mom,” he replied sheepishly, scuffing his feet on the ground.

Annabeth _definitely_ didn't find it cute.

“So, uh, maybe I’ll see you around in Hogsmeade this weekend?” Percy stuttered, backing slowly into the owlery.

Annabeth gave a shy smile and nodded, which led to a blinding smile adorning Percy’s face.

After he'd disappeared to send his letter, Annabeth whispered to herself, “I think you will”

* * *

The day of the fall Hogsmeade trip, the buzz around the castle was incredible. Because of the Tri-Wizard tournament, it had been nearly two years since the students had a chance to visit the village  

Percy had somehow managed to convince Grover to spend the day with him rather than with Juniper. He may have bribed him with free butterbeer, but that didn't matter. Percy was excited to have some one-on-one time with one of his closest friends.

Grover had to run some errands first, so Percy had gotten to the Three Broomsticks a little early to grab them a table before it got too busy.

Percy was staring down at his butterbeer lost in thought when he noticed someone plop down across from him in the booth.

“Took you long enough. How's Juniper?” he teased without looking up.

“Pardon?” a female voice that definitely didn't belong to Grover voiced from across from him.

His eyes snapped up in an instant to be met with calculating grey ones. _Bloody hell_ what was Annabeth Chase doing sitting across from him right now?

She must have seen the confused look on his face because she shrugged before speaking.

“You said that maybe we'd see each other in Hogsmeade, and I saw you in here sitting alone so I thought I'd join you.”

Pausing for a moment, Percy was almost too stunned to reply for a few seconds, which caused Annabeth to get flustered.

“I mean, I guess I did kind of sit down without permission. I can, uh, leave if this is weird. My friends went to Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes so I can go catch up with them if you---”

Percy cut her off by grabbing her hands and giving her a warm smile

“You sound like you need a butterbeer, Wise Girl.”

* * *

Annabeth was known as the pinnacle of perfection and composure around Hogwarts. Prefect, top student of her class -- always poise and mature.

So naturally when she was spotted snorting into her glass of butterbeer after a particularly cheesy joke Percy had Made, she garnered more than a few curious looks.

None quite matched the look that the Hufflepuff boy gave her- delighted at finding out that _the_ Annabeth Chase snorts at bad puns.

A while later, Grover finally arrived, already practicing his apology to Percy for being so late.

Standing in the doorway, he scanned the pub, not finding any empty tables. Looking again, he finally spotted the messy mop of hair that belonged to his friend sitting across from...Annabeth Chase?

Grover smirked and slowly backed out of the bar, determines to get all the details out of Percy about his “date” with his long time crush later.

* * *

At some point on the walk back to the castle, Percy had been bold enough to throw his arm carelessly over Annabeth's shoulders.

She leaned her head slightly against his arm as she giggled about something stupid he'd said.

They were both feeling lighter than air at the moment. Annabeth blamed the butterbeer. Percy blamed Annabeth’s proximity.

He had just finished venting about how much terribly he was doing in potions when Annabeth stopped walking, looking like an idea had popped into her head.

“You know, I could help you out with potions if you want?”

“Are you serious?? That’d be amazing. Why are you being so nice and helping me out?” Percy asked, his voice getting softer near the end.

“Because I’m your friend Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?”

* * *

Annabeth and Percy quickly became the best of friends after that. They studied together at least once a week,  and flew together on the quidditch pitch at least that often. Sure, Annabeth was sometimes a complete know-it-all, and Percy was sometimes a total airhead, but they felt an inexplicable comfort around one another

When they left for the summer, Annabeth was actually sad to see him go. However, Percy had promised her that he would write letters all summer long, and that helped console her.

Not even two days into summer, he fulfilled that promise with an absurdly long letter, delivered by his owl, Blackjack. Annabeth smiled as she read it, and immediately replied.

They exchanged letters as fast as their owls could deliver them. It was towards the middle of the summer when Percy got _the_ letter. You know, the one where Annabeth casually implied that she went on a date with one of her brother’s Muggle friends..

She hadn’t stated whether or not she had enjoyed it or was going on a second date. Percy didn’t have the heart to ask. That whole week, he stared at her words, trying to figure what he should say - a problem which had never plagued him when writing to Annabeth. .

When he finally sent a return letter, a full week later, Annabeth naively assumed that his owl had gotten lost.

(She didn’t enjoy the date, by the way.)

* * *

Despite how much the other students seemed to love Diagon Alley, Percy had never been a big fan. More of his time was spent trying not to get run over in the hordes of people that crowded the street than actually enjoying the shopping itself.

Sure enough, just as Percy was coming out of Madam Malkin’s (his growth spurt had not been kind on his wardrobe), he bumped into someone. Luckily, neither of them fell, but as Percy’s let his eyes wander to the face of this someone, he was blown away.

Standing in front of him was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. And surprisingly, it wasn’t Annabeth. This girl had wavy, caramel colored hair and beautiful brown eyes that peered at his bag, and then at him curiously.

“Do you go to Hogwarts?” she asked enthusiastically.

“Uh, yeah I do,” Percy realized she must have seen the Hufflepuff scarf sticking out of his bag, “Do you? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before?”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and Percy’s heart melted a tiny bit.

“Well, I’m actually new this fall. Just starting 6th year.”

“No way! Me too! My name’s Percy, by the way,” he stuck out his hand for her to shake.

She smiled as she shook it, “Calypso”

* * *

Calypso was sorted into Hufflepuff. Percy was over the moon. He couldn’t help but think she looked great in yellow as he draped his scarf over her shoulders when she sat down next to him.

The next day, Percy showed her all around the castle. A few times, he even grabbed her hands, using his excitement to show her a new place as an excuse. She didn’t seem to mind, as she laughed every time he did it.

There was someone who did mind though- her grey eyes following the pair as they dashed through the courtyard. Annabeth turned and walked the other way, desperately trying to decipher what the twisting in her stomach meant. Surely,she didn’t have a _crush_ on Percy Jackson, right?

* * *

Annabeth had been pretty distant since coming back to Hogwarts and Percy couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong. They had exchanged letters all summer, and in her last letter, she even shared how excited she was to see him again.

And yet, two weeks into the school year Percy still hadn’t even had a conversation with her. Calypso, on the other hand, he talked to for hours each week.

They were becoming incredibly close. Percy finally realized he had a major crush on her, but nonetheless felt conflicted. He was still pretty sure he was in love with Annabeth.

It was all so confusing - could you even crush on two different girls at the same time?

A few days later, he brought this up with Piper, who was often referred to as “the love expert” of Hufflepuff house.

“So you’re in love with Annabeth, who is pretty sure you guys are _just_ friends. And you like Calypso, who’s shown interest in you from day one? “

“I know it sounds like a pretty stupid dilemma, it’s just - I’ve been crushing on Annabeth for so long, and I feel like we’re finally starting to get close this past year. I dunno, it feels like if I date Calypso, it’s almost like cheating or something.”

“You should date Calypso,” Piper suddenly stated definitely.

“But Annabeth- “ Percy began.

Piper placed a hand on his shoulder, “Listen Percy, I know you've liked her for a while, but you deserve to be _happy._ In whatever form that may take. I’ve seen you around Calypso, I know how happy you are together. You deserve that.”

Percy and Calypso were dating the next day.

* * *

It had been a few weeks since Percy had even _seen_ Annabeth. They didn't have any classes together this term so he figured it was reasonable. Still, a part of him was worried that Annabeth was angry at him, or didn't want to be his friend anymore.

Later that day, Piper ran into Annabeth, who told her that she was incredibly busy this semester- taking extra classes (all advanced of course), being captain of the Quidditch team, and a prefect again this year.

And while all of that was true, neither Piper nor Percy ever noticed how Annabeth had suddenly started taking hallways which the Hufflepuffs didn't frequent. Neither noticed Annabeth flat out turning around to go the other way in a hallway which Percy, and more often than not Calypso as well, turned down.

Neither noticed Annabeth stealing longing glances at the Hufflepuff table during every meal.

* * *

Most of the time she wore her badge with pride, but on days like today, Annabeth hated being a prefect.

Every weekend, the prefects would rotate shifts on what they dubbed “castle duty.” Basically you just wander around the castle making sure everyone's behaving, and docking points from those who aren't.

More often than not, those who aren't behaving are couples making out in random parts of the castle. You'd seriously be surprised by all of the places Annabeth has caught people.

Luckily today she was on duty with Jason, who was easily her closest friend of the prefects. She liked  being on duty with him in particular because he makes the _snarkiest_ comments about what they have to deduct points for. Annabeth usually finds herself laughing for the greater part of the shift when she's paired with him.

They had just finished their rounds of the interior of the castle, so now it was time to patrol the grounds. Typically, since the grounds around the castle were so big, they split up the duty, meeting back in the courtyard in about an hour.

Annabeth and Jason had done rock, paper, scissors for who got the half of the grounds which contained the lake. Since the lake was so large, the duty was much, much easier than the half of the grounds with the forest. Annabeth had won, to her fortune. Or at least so she thought.

As she came down onto the shoreline, she could already see three couples making out on the shoreline. Groaning, she strode forward, desperate to get this over with as soon as possible. The first two couples were sheepish enough about having being caught that they scurried away with no fuss, leaving a trail of apologies in their wake.

A few steps away from the last couple, who had somehow not noticed the other two getting kicked off the shoreline, Annabeth noticed the shockingly black hair. Her heart stopped in her chest and she prayed to all of the gods in existence that this happened to be some other student with midnight black hair.

Unfortunately for her, as she stepped closer, she saw that the girl entangled in his arms happened to have caramel colored hair. A sinking feeling spread through her whole body as she cleared her throat. The pair jumped apart, and surprise clearly registered in both of their faces.

Percy gave her a sheepish grin, expecting her to dismiss his behavior with an insincere scolding, like she did all of last year. Instead he was met with a momentarily cold glare before Annabeth gazed off into the distance.

“20 points each, so 40 total, from Hufflepuff for indecent public displays of affection. Please don’t do this again. You are 6th years so it is expected that you will set good examples for younger students in the castle,” she parroted the lines monotonously from their training on how to handle situations like these.

Percy’s mouth was gaping open as Annabeth brusquely turned on heels to walk away without another word.

“C’mon Wise Girl, can’t you let me off like old times?” Percy called after her, finally regaining his wits.

Annabeth briefly stopped in her tracks at the use of his nickname for her, but quickly shook her head. Without so much as a glance back, she continued walking, leaving behind an embarrassed Calypso, and a disappointed Percy.

* * *

For most students at the castle, Christmas was their favorite holiday. The decorations were magical (or at least more so than usual) and students had the chance to go home and visit their families.

Annabeth, however, did not share these feelings. Considering her mom was out of the picture and her relationship with her dad was strained to say the least, she hadn’t gone home for the holidays since 1st year.

It’s incredible how empty the castle is for those few weeks. On the one hand, it gives her plenty of time to catch up on her reading and schoolwork. But on the other hand, the holidays are typically the time of year where Annabeth’s loneliness hits the hardest.

She was sitting in the courtyard, sketching the castle in an attempt to distract herself from all of the students packing their things in the Ravenclaw dorm when Piper found her. The choppy haired girl plopped down on the bench beside her, remaining silent for a few minutes.

“So...how have you been,” Piper eventually prodded

Guilt immediately consumed Annabeth as she realized just how distant she’d been with Piper. And Percy, for that matter.

“Good. Busy. Just a lot on my mind lately, you know?” Annabeth replied, trying not to stifle their fragile conversation.

Piper made a noise of agreement, but continued to stare at her, almost as if analyzing her.

“You’re hung up on a boy, aren’t you?” Piper asked slyly.

Annabeth attempted to roll her eyes nonchalantly, but nonetheless, a blush invaded her face.

Piper laughs, “You totally are! Annabeth this is wonderful!”

“Wonderful is probably the last word I’d use to describe it,” Annabeth mumbled, but Piper heard.

“Ah. Unrequited love?”

“First off,” Annabeth began, “Love is far too strong of a word. And it’s just a stupid crush. I can’t even believe I like this guy. I hate it so much.”

She was treading carefully with her word choice, remembering that Piper and Percy were close friends.

“Well, I don’t want to push you too much on the subject, but just know that you are a wonderful girl Annabeth. Any guy would be lucky to have you. I hope it works out for you.”

Annabeth smiled. Piper always had a knack for knowing when to cut off a conversation to avoid pushing someone too far.

“So anyways, I know you haven’t talked with Percy in a while. Did you hear that he’s bringing Calypso home with him over break?” Piper stated innocently.

The hand that was so carefully shading the upper spires of Hogwarts jerked violently at this revelation. Annabeth quickly flipped her notebook over so Piper wouldn’t notice.

“Oh, no, I, uh, didn’t hear that. That’s good for them, I guess.”

When Piper raised her eyebrows, Annabeth amended, “Good for him. I’m sure that’ll be a nice break.”

Piper was about to suggest that Annabeth should talk to Percy again before break when the blonde abruptly stood up.

“Piper, it’s been really nice to catch up. I’m truly sorry for how distant I’ve been, but I really ought to be getting back to my dorm now. Prefect duties and all. Promise we’ll catch up again after break?”

Piper nodded and watched as Annabeth scurried out of the courtyard. For the first time in her life, Piper was left wondering if she had given the wrong advice to Percy.

* * *

One of the first things Percy and Calypso did when they got to London was visit Diagon Alley. It was a nice moment, considering that’s where they first met,but really they just needed to buy gifts for one another.

They split up with a kiss,and headed off to do their own shopping. Percy was wandering the streets, desperately trying to figure out what Calypso might like.

Just as he was walking past a small jewelry boutique, he saw it. The perfect gift -- for Annabeth. Without a second thought, he pushed through the doors to take a closer look.

It was a small metal outline of a silver Owl, which had been enchanted so the wings flapped every so often. Percy knew how much Annabeth loved owls (It was something she mentioned once during a study session)

Percy quickly scribbled a note and paid - arranging for the gift to be delivered on Christmas morning. He probably should've felt weird buying a gift for another girl before his girlfriend, but instead he felt hopeful.

Maybe when Annabeth saw the gift, she would  want to reconnect as friends, just like he did.

* * *

When Annabeth woke on Christmas morning, she was greeted with a small pile of presents. She was the only one in her room, so if she ran over to see who they were from, no one had to know.

There was one from Piper, one from Jason, one from Malcolm, one from the headmaster for the prefects. And one which was from someone anonymous.

Her heart sped up, curious as to who would send her a gift. She also didn't fail to notice that, like usual, there was no gift from her father in the pile.

Carefully, she peeled off the wrapping paper and was met with a jewelry box. She pried open The lid and gasped. Inside was an enchanted owl necklace that looked like it was made just for her.

Picking it up, she noticed a small note tucked under the necklace.

_I miss you._

Annabeth’s heart hammered - thinking her father was finally trying to reconnect. She vowed she’d wear the necklace every day

* * *

The next time Percy and Annabeth interacted wasn't until February, when the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Quidditch teams played each other.

Now that both Percy and Annabeth were captains, they were required to head to center of the pitch before the game for rules/to wish each other good luck.

Annabeth stared determinedly at the ground the entire time captain’s meeting. When it was time for the handshakes, Annabeth shook Percy’s co-captains hand first. Finally, she turned towards him. It was the first time they'd been in those close of a proximity practically all year.  

Annabeth felt like her chest was too tight. She made eye contact for the briefest of seconds. The pain, only just visible in her eyes betrayed her otherwise stoic expression.

Percy didn't try to talk to her in mid-air that game. Annabeth caught the snitch before he even realized she’d seen it.

* * *

“Annabeth, some Hufflepuff is outside the dorms, insisting it’s urgent that they see you right now.”

“It’s 10 p.m., what could they possibly want?” Annabeth grumbled, but started trudging down the stairs nonetheless.

Swinging open the door, she expected to find Piper there - as she sometimes showed up with (not so) urgent things to share with Annabeth at weird hours of the day. When she instead saw the tall figure of Percy Jackson, she was surprised to say the least.

At the sound of the door opening, he had spun around, a frazzled look in his eyes.

“Seaweed Brain, it’s nearly curfew, what’s so urgent it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” she asked with a slight tinge of annoyance in her voice.

“Can we talk?” his voice was small, something that took Annabeth aback.

“Is something wrong?” she questioned tenderly, all frustration with him vanished.

He simply nodded, crossing his arms over his chest in a way that looked like he was trying to hold himself together.

“I know just the place to talk about it. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

* * *

20 minutes later, and they had arrived at Annabeth’s favorite hideout- a small alcove near the owlery. Though it was past curfew, her invisibility hat, one of the few things she had of her mother’s, had helped them sneak through the halls.

It may sound surprising that Annabeth was a prefect and sneaking around, but there were many nights where she came up here just to think. She had even been caught by the headmaster once, who joined and shared that he too liked to wander and think. After that, she figured she had his blessing to come here when needed.

Percy had been silent for a few minutes, and she had just opened her mouth to ask if he wanted to talk about it when he interrupted her.

“Calypso broke up with me”

He let out a deep breath, like that was something he’d been holding in. All practiced responses Annabeth had generated flew out of her mind. That was the _last_ thing she was expecting him to say.

“How are you holding up?” she settled on eventually.

He just shrugged, “I feel like I haven’t really processed my emotions yet? I don’t know, I don’t really feel upset,which is weird because I know I cared for her. And I’m sorry to have bothered you so late. Even though I’m close with Piper, you’re the only one I really wanted to talk to about this.You know, with you being so wise and all. Figured you’d know what to do.”

Annabeth’s heart was hammering, “As much as I’d love to give you words of wisdom right now, I’ve, uh, actually never been through a breakup so I can’t provide much assistance.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

Blushing furiously, She was finally forced to admit, “I’ve never even had a boyfriend Perce. Not all of us are the most crushed on person in our year.”

Now it was his turn to blush. If only she knew that he didn’t care about anyone who was crushing on him, unless it happened to be the grey-eyed girl sitting across from him right now.

His eyes caught a motion near her neck, and he glanced down to see the necklace he bought her. She must have noticed his staring, because she grabbed it and spoke softly,

“Isn’t this nice? It was a gift - I wear it every day.”

Percy smiled tightly, realizing she didn’t know it was from him. Still, the thought that she wore it every day made his heart flutter. She was still holding the necklace, staring out of the window at the owls flying through the air. Her hair framed her face, and blew around lightly in the wind. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Even though Percy was supposed to feel sad about his breakup with Calypso, there was no doubt in his mind at that moment that he was absolutely, completely, absurdly in love with the girl sitting in front of him.

* * *

“Thanks for your help tonight, I really feel a lot better,” Percy admitted honestly as he dropped Annabeth off outside the Ravenclaw common room. He had a sneaking suspicion that he dated Calypso to try and take his mind off of Annabeth, and now that they seemed to be getting closer again, his true feelings for the blonde resurfaced.

“It’s no problem, Perce,”

He smiled and started to walk away, when he felt a soft tug at his hand.

“And Percy,” she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “I’m sorry about being so distant this school year. I was just...going through some things. I’m glad you came to me tonight. I want to be there for you- you know, as friends,”

She hastily added on the last part, while Percy stepped imperceptibly closer to her.

Reaching out, he lightly grabbed her necklace, continuing to draw them closer to one another.

“I miss you,” he breathed, while fingering the design on the necklace.

They were so close now, and he was leaning in, and she was leaning in when

**BANG** **_._ **

“Ms. Norris, be more careful, the kids are trying to sleep,” Filch whisper-yelled from around the corner.

Annabeth quickly shoved her invisibility cap into Percy’s hands.

“ _Go._ Bring it back to me tomorrow,” She commanded, before quickly turning to answer the riddle to her common room.

It wasn’t until she was resting in her bed that her brain finally caught up with her. She had almost kissed Percy Jackson. On the day he broke up with his girlfriend. And he had basically just admitted he was the one who bought her the necklace. Which would have been while he was dating Calypso. Everything about it seemed so incredibly wrong.

Which left her confused as to why the butterflies in her stomach seemed to indicate that it felt so _right_.

* * *

Things mostly went back to normal after that. At first, Annabeth tried to maintain some distance, as she felt awkward about the almost-kiss, but Percy was having none of it. He frequently would plop down next to her during meals, despite the looks of disapproval he received from the other Ravenclaws. He acted as if nothing happened, which often led Annabeth to wonder if she made up the tension between them that night.

Still, every time Percy would sit by her, Piper would shoot her a knowing look. It only furthered her newfound nerves that seemed to pop up whenever Percy was near.

They settled back into the routine of friendship they had established before Calypso entered the picture. It was comfortable. It was nice. It was enough.

Or so Annabeth told herself every night as she fell asleep.

* * *

The first thing that greeted Annabeth on the train to Hogwarts for her final year was a pair of strong arms wrapping around her from behind. She didn’t even have to turn around to know that it was Percy who’d found her.

When she did turn around, smile plastered on her face, Percy beat her to speaking,

“Head girl? No fucking way!! Why didn’t you tell me,” he rambled, “Shit, please don’t take points away for swearing, your highness.”

Annabeth laughed as he bowed, “I only just found out last week, Seaweed Brain. I thought it’d be a nice surprise.

Percy lightly grabbed her shoulders, “You’re incredible.”

The sincerity in his voice made Annabeth blush to her toes.

* * *

The first quidditch match of the year was Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor. As Percy was walking to the game with Piper, he was reminded of the time the two of them went to this game during their 3rd year. It was almost hard to believe how much had changed since then.

At the time, they were finding solace in their unrequited crushes. Now Piper was dating Jason and Percy was best friends with Annabeth. The atmosphere surrounding this game was a little more positive, though Percy was, unfortunately,still suffering from his unrequited love.

Once in the stadium, Piper grabbed his knee as Jason and Annabeth walked onto the field for the captains meeting. As usual, Annabeth looked impeccable. Even from here, he could tell that her grey eyes were analyzing all other players on the field.

The game was running smoothly until Percy  saw the bludger soaring towards Annabeth. Something which Annabeth herself didn't see. Percy was already out of seat, trying to navigate his way to the field when it struck.

Horrified, he watched as Annabeth went limp and tumbled from her broom, crashing to the ground. Piper finally realized what had happened and was hot on Percy’s heels.

When he reached the entrance to the field, he could no longer see Annabeth, just the crowd of people surrounding her. Just as he was about to stride onto the field, a professor stopped him, insisting that students weren't allowed on the field during a match.

“But I need to check if she's alright,” he said desperately, “she's my….friend”

Percy felt like friend was too mild a word to describe how much Annabeth meant to him. But he couldn't exactly tell this teacher that she was the girl he'd been in love with for years and that's why he was desperate to make sure she was ok.

“You can visit her in the medical ward, dear. I'm sure she'll be just fine, Madam Pomfrey is great with this type of thing.”

Percy sprinted to the medical ward, beating Annabeth there.

* * *

Annabeth wasn't entirely sure what was happening right Now, but she was fairly certain she was at least unconscious. She could hear fuzzy voices around her, but couldn't see who they belonged to. She could only see herself drifting through the streets of London.

Everything was a bit blurry, and she wasn't sure anything was real. The voices would only come to her in bits and pieces.

“concussion”

“unconscious”

“barely left her bed side”

Annabeth was confused, to say the least. And Ravenclaws hate being confused. It seemed she had sustained a head injury which knocked her out. She tried to think of her last memory, and then the Quidditch game came back to her and she remembered getting hit with something, but the rest was still hazy.

A few minutes/hours/days later (Annabeth didn't have a good sense of time at the moment) a crystal clear voice broke through the haze.

“Hey Wise Girl. Sorry I Didnt come visit yesterday, Mcgonagall had a paper due today and I, like the Seaweed Brain I am, put it off until the last minute. And before you get too worried, you're exempt from it.”

Annabeth couldn't see his face, but could easily imagine the silly grin that covers it right now. She thought she felt a pressure on her hands, but  couldn't really tell.

His voice had dropped lower now, a desperate whisper, “come back to us Annabeth. Come back to me. I should've told you every day since I met you---I’m in love with you.” ( **A/N I'm a sucker for POTC, so I couldn't resist)**

* * *

As Annabeth blinked her eyes open, the first sight she was met with was wide green eyes set under eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Annabeth,” Percy breathed, “you’re awake!”

Suddenly, she was being pressed under the weight of a hug.

“thanks for stating the obvious, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth croaked, her voice rough from not being used, “Also, ow, you're crushing me”

Percy jumped back, face full of concern

“Oh my god, did I hurt you??”

She rolled her eyes, “I'm fine Percy. So what exactly happened?”

Staring at the floor, Percy seemed to grappling with what to say.

“well, you got hit in the head with a bludger and fell pretty hard. Madam Pomfrey said you had a pretty bad concussion, a broken arm and a broken ankle,” Percy winced.

Annabeth lifted her arm- it looked and felt fine.

“But I feel okay - wait Perce what day is it?”

He grabbed her hands, “Wednesday”

She nearly passed out (again) when she realized she had been unconscious for nearly 5 days.

How would she ever catch up on schoolwork???

* * *

Like the amazing friend he was, Percy had been collecting Annabeth’s assignments from all of her teachers. He just knew it would be the first thing she asked about, and sure enough, he was right.

Currently, they were holed up in the library as Annabeth caught up. Percy had tried to bring her up to speed on what had happened in potions, but she finished the assignment before he even finished explaining it  

Now, he was just pretending to read, but mostly sneaking glances at his best friend. Piper had been more insistent than usual the past few days that he should make a move on Annabeth.

The problem was, He just really could not tell what was going on in her head. She hadn't said anything about his, uh, little confession when she was unconscious, so he figured she must not have heard it  

Part of him feels relieved, but the other part was hoping that would be the catalyst for their relationship. Because now, Percy realized terrifyingly,  he would have to confess his feelings _again._

* * *

“You're staying at the castle for Christmas??” Percy asked, bewildered.

Annabeth shrugged, “Yeah, I do every year. No biggie.”

“No biggie?? Wise Girl it's only _the_ greatest holiday of the year! You can’t spend it at the castle!”

“Yes I can, Perce.  Since second year, this is just how it is.”

“Not if my mom has something to say about it,” Percy muttered under his breath as set off for the owlery

* * *

“Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?” Percy was literally bouncing in front of Annabeth.

“Chicken Butt,” Annabeth said, without looking up from her book.

Despite himself, Percy couldn’t help but giggle before continuing,

“You, Ms. Annabeth Chase, have been cordially invited to spend the holidays at the Jackson residency,”

Annabeth’s body stilled. She wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly. She could spend Christmas with a family that wasn’t her own? Not by herself in the castle? As much as she pretended it was fine, it was mighty lonely.

“Are you being serious?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level.

He dropped a letter onto the table.

_Dear Percy,_

_Of course Annabeth can stay with us for Christmas! It would be an honor to show her what a Jackson Christmas is all about. I’ll make sure to bake some extra blue cookies._

_I’ll meet you in King’s Cross Station on the 21st. Can’t wait to see you, and to finally meet the infamous Annabeth._

_Love,_

_Sally._

Annabeth let the letter flutter back onto the table as she tried to blink back tears. Percy, who had been grinning, noticed her change in demeanor almost immediately.

“Hey is everything okay?”

“It just feels nice to be so...welcomed. To feel like I have a family to spend the holidays with,” she admitted.

“Annabeth, you're always welcome in my home,”  Percy replied, sincerity laced through his voice.

She just nodded, not trusting her voice. Jumping up, she wrapped her arms around Percy in a tight hug, which he was all too happy to return.

* * *

Percy was nervous. Annabeth was in the kitchen, helping his mom bake another batch of blue cookies while he was practicing the spell under his breath.

Over the past few weeks, Percy had been desperately trying to learn a charm that would make mistletoe grow. Of course, doing so required reading, which was never his strong suit.

Last  night he had finally found one, and had attempted to decipher the incantation through his dyslexia. He had no time to actually practice the spell, so he _really_ needed to get this right.

The opportune moment arose later in the evening, after his mom had already retired to bed. Annabeth was standing across the kitchen from him, holding a cup of hot cocoa.

“Hey Wise Girl,” he started nervously.

“Yeah Perce?” She said over the rim of her mug, which was currently raised to her lips and not helping his nerves.

“I learned a new spell I thought you'd like to see.”

He cringed at how awkward it sounded, but Annabeth waved her hand, indicating he should go on.

Percy pulled out his wand and raised it towards the ceiling, muttering the charm so Annabeth wouldn't hear.

To his delight, green started sprouting from the ceiling immediately. Annabeth’s eyes were alight with surprise, and Percy thought this was shaping out to be the perfect moment.  

Until the plants kept growing. And it turned out to not be mistletoe at all.

“Is this poison ivy??” Annabeth shrieked as the plants started to close in on her.

Sally came running down the stairs and was alarmed to find her kitchen, and its two occupants engulfed in plants. Being non-magical herself, she could do nothing except try to break through the plants to extricate the two teens.

Suddenly Annabeth’s voice, calm and clear, broke through the chaos.

“REDUCTO”

Within seconds, the ivy was retreating.

“WHAT was that?” Sally gasped.

Percy was fairly certain his embarrassment was palpable - his blush surely was.

“Seaweed Brain here decided to try out a new spell”

“Percy, honey, why did you think that would be a good idea?” Sally asked, exasperated, but not angry.

“That wasn’t what the spell was supposed to do,” Percy muttered.

“What _were_ you trying to do?” Annabeth questioned.

There was no way Percy was about to admit his plan, particularly with his mom standing right there. He settled on mumbling something about flowers as a Christmas gift,and luckily both women in the kitchen believed him.

Annabeth even gave him a light kiss on the cheek before she went to bed, so Percy supposed it wasn’t a total failure after all.

The next day, however, when Annabeth came downstairs covered in a nasty red rash and wearing a murderous glare, he reconsidered his success.

* * *

Percy was floating peacefully over the pitch, scanning for that hint of gold. It was his last game _ever._ He could hardly believe how fast the time had gone, but thankfully, all of his friends made it out to this game.

Including Annabeth, if you count her attendance as the seeker on the opposing team. Yes, it is incredibly fitting that the last game of the year, of both of their careers was Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff.

“So, do you have a lot of experience flying? You seem like a natural,” Annabeth mocked the first words he’d said to her in their 3rd year game as she settled on her broom beside him.

Percy let out a bark of laughter before chiding himself for getting distracted. Unlike their meeting last year on the pitch, Annabeth had been interacting with him a lot this game.She couldn’t take her eyes off him before the game (or at least that’s how it felt to Percy), she winked at him right before the match started, and now she was willingly speaking to him during the match.

“Ha. Ha. So I’ve done a bit of maturing since 3rd year,” he replied, casting a glance in her direction.

“I’d say so,” Annabeth said in a flirtatious voice which he had never heard from her before.

Now, he full on turned towards her. Surprisingly, she was staring at him with wide eyes, while biting lightly on her lip.

_HOLY SHIT- Was Annabeth Chase flirting with him?_

It was all that could go through his mind. He’d been waiting for this moment for literally 7 years and this was the worst possible time he could think of. The competitive part of him wanted to ignore her and focus on winning his last game. But the sensitive part of him wanted to forget about everything else in the world besides Annabeth.

“Oh is that so?” he responded in a slightly flirtatious voice of his own.

After a beat without a response, he added on, “does this mean I’m not a Seaweed Brain anymore?”

Another beat of silence.

Percy looked to his side and saw empty space. Annabeth was zooming away on her broom, in pursuit of the snitch Percy had somehow completely missed.

“Shit,” he muttered, as he sped after her. Percy caught up with her with her surprisingly fast (thanks to his non-existent dad who had sent him a Fire-Bolt a few years back, as if that’d make his absence okay.)

By now, he too had spotted the snitch, which was still flying about 10 feet in front of them. He chanced a glance at Annabeth, and his breath hitched in his throat.

She had on her determined face where her eyebrows scrunch together. Her grey eyes were darting about, following the snitch’s every move. Her golden curls were billowing out behind her, shimmering slightly in the sun.

“Just can’t keep your eyes off me, eh Jackson?” she called out, not even turning in his direction.

“Psh, no.I was trying to get you to look at me so I can distract you and win the game.Obviously,” he scoffed.

“Uh-huh, sure. I’ll believe that the day you don’t turn into a tomato whenever I catch you staring,”

“Uh, what,” Percy said, of course, while simultaneously blushing furiously.              

“C’mon Seaweed Brain. You really think I haven't noticed all the glances you’ve been giving me lately?”

“I, uh, don’t know what you’re talking about,” Percy stuttered pathetically.

“Well if you didn’t look away every time our eyes meet, maybe you’d notice the looks I give you back,” Annabeth finally turned to look at him and gave him a quick wink.

In the haze that was his mind at that moment, he registered two things

  1. Annabeth had basically just admitted that she liked him
  2. He had lost all focus and had thus slowed down, allowing Annabeth to easily pull ahead.



Snapping back to attention, he desperately tried to close the gap again, but Annabeth’s hand was already closing around the snitch.Vaguely, he heard the announcer declare Ravenclaw the winner, however Percy’s mind was only trained on Annabeth. She had just landed, and was smirking up at him.

When he landed a few feet from her, she made a fake apologetic face.

“I promise I wasn’t trying to _distract_ you or anything,” her apology directly mocking Percy’s apology he’d made to her last year about their first game against each other in 3rd year.

If you asked Percy what came over him in the moments following, he wouldn’t be able to give you an answer. He just sorted of acted without thinking.

And by acted- he rushed forward, grabbed Annabeth’s face and kissed her with all he had. A comforting warmth spread through him, like the feeling of coming home after being away for a while. Annabeth’s hands eventually circled around his waist and he was pretty sure he’d died and gone to heaven.

They broke apart and he stared into her eyes, which were as indecipherable as ever. The magic shattered as her teammates pulled her away cheering, some of them shooting him dirty glares.

As his teammates all huddled up, a few of them crying from losing the last game of the season, Percy could not wipe his smile off his face even if he wanted to.

He didn’t want to.

* * *

Percy had been waiting outside the pitch for nearly 45 minutes. His teammates were all long gone, and had given him consoling pats on the back as they walked past.

Finally, he spotted the blonde curls he’d been looking for. Rushing forward, he called her name

“Annabeth! Hey, I’m sorry about what happened in there. I’m not really sure what came over me, I hope this doesn’t mess….”

Percy was cut off by Annabeth crushing her lips against his. Well, he supposed that meant she wasn’t mad at least.

After a few minutes, they broke apart, both slightly out of breath. This time, when Percy looked into her eyes, he saw that they were shining.

Smirking slightly, she whispered, “How long?”

“Since first year,” he replied, still breathless.

She let out a low whistle, “Wow. I suppose that explains why you distracted me in our first quidditch match, right?”

Percy sighed, jokingly, “I swear I wasn’t trying to distract you. Unlike you during this game…. What was that all about?”

Annabeth just rolled her eyes and gave him a peck on the cheek, “C’mon, let’s get you back to the castle Seaweed Brain.”

As much as they’d like to say they walked straight back, it took more than hour before Annabeth was back in the Ravenclaw dorm. So what if they made out a few times on the way back?

* * *

“I can’t believe it’s our last day at Hogwarts,” Annabeth exclaimed as they walked along the bridge, killing time before the train left.

“I’m really going to miss this place, actually,” Percy admitted, “You think the real world is like this?”

Annabeth chuckled, “Not even close. To be honest with you Perce, I’m nervous.”

“Hey, hey. I am too. But the great thing is, we have each other. I’m here to help you through it.”

He laughed before continuing, “And now that I sound like a cheesy romance novel….”

As he trailed off, Annabeth came to a sudden realization. Without thinking, she blurted it out.

“I love you.”

Percy stopped in his tracks and stared at her with wide eyes.

“I should have told you every day since I met you- I’m in love with you,”  he whispered before closing the gap between them.

As they were kissing, Annabeth realized that she was having a strong feeling of deja vu.

She broke apart, “You’ve said those words to me before, haven’t you?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, like he does when he’s nervous.

“Uh, yeah. I thought you were unconscious when I said that…”

“You know, I thought that was a dream. I can’t believe you’ve been in love with me for almost 8 months…”

“Oh it’s been quite a bit longer than that,” Percy admitted sheepishly.

Annabeth pulled him into another kiss, “I love you all the more for it,”

When they pulled apart Percy jumped up on the ledge of the bridge, which gave Annabeth a minor heart attack.

“WATCH OUT WORLD. THIS SEAWEED BRAIN AND THIS WISE GIRL ARE IN LOVE AND WE’RE READY TO TAKE YOU ON,” he belted out.

Chuckling, Annabeth pulled him down and gave him a kiss to shut him up. Hand in hand, they strolled to the train, thinking of the memories made here, and dreaming of the ones they’d make together in the future.

* * *

A few years later, Percy re-purposed that snitch he was going to use to ask Annabeth to the Yule Ball. This time it said ‘Marry Me.’ This time, he actually got around to asking her. This time, she said yes.

All was well.

 


End file.
